Not Easily Broken
by Aiko-Chan SoT
Summary: So maybe I did lose everything when she died. Maybe I died with her. But when I saw Elli...when I saw her...I found something...I came alive again...' SonicxTails brotherly Sequel to If I Fall
1. x

_So heres the prolouge to Not Easily Broken! The story switches POV's quiet a few times throughout. Prolly every chapter will be a different POV. This will not be nearly as good as the first. But I will try my best. :D_

_This is just following both Sonic and Tails challenges to raise Baby Elli. I will probably make it go until she's nearing teenage years, but I may make an epilogue or something. Who knows? I'll let the story write itself. :D_

_Anyway, enjoy the prologue!_

**Not Easily Broken**

**Prologue**

Darkness covered the Mystic Ruins as the night wore on. The crescent moon was hidden behind dark clouds that threatened rain. The waves that beat against the shoreline were large and loud, and they beat against the cliff side with ferocious intensity. There was a rumble of quiet thunder in the distance, and heat lightning flashed in the sky, lighting up the quiet ruins for a heartbeat before it fell dark again.

Sitting alone on the cliffside overlooking the ocean was a small home. Painted tan, with a few windows indicating the few rooms in the home, it stood lone, overlooking all of Mystic Ruins. All the lights were off in the home. But all was not silent.

In one of the rooms, there was a quiet sobbing.

**xxx**

The house was dark when the crying started. I opened my tired, bloodshot eyes to the night. I hadn't been sleeping. Every time I fell asleep, I would dream. And every time I would dream, I would wake up in tears.

The crying got louder. I sat up, feeling the exhaustion pull at my body. I threw my legs over the bed and stood silently, rubbing my hand down my tired face. The crying continued to get louder as I rounded the corner out of my room and into the hallway. Besides the crying, the house was quiet. I could hear soft snores coming from the other bedroom, but I payed no mind. I kept walking forward, forcing my tired eyes to stay open, and kept the pain in my heart where it belonged.

I entered the bedroom at the other end of the hallway. The long hallway I walked so many times while growing up. I never believed, three months ago, I would be back here, living back with my best friend. But yet...here I was...once again.

The crying got softer as I entered the doorway, heading toward the small crib in the corner of the room. A soft, sad smile spread across my face as I looked into the cribs, at the small baby hedgehog curled beneath the covers. Lightning flashed outside, followed by a quiet roar of thunder. The baby whimpered quietly, her eyes closed. And when she heard me approach, she opened her soft, green eyes, looking at me and lifting her arms up.

The storm frightened her.

With a quiet soothing noise, I bent and picked her up, cradling her in my arms. She whimpered quietly as lightning flashed again, and buried her tiny head into the crooked of my arm. I couldn't help the gentle chuckle.

"Elli," I whispered, rocking her in my arms. "Baby Elli...There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just lightning." She moved her head, looking at me as if she understood every word I said. "I won't let it hurt you...I won't let nothing hurt you." I held her close, and sat down in the small rocker next to her bed.

I was having major deja vu as I held her and rocker, whispering to her how it was just a storm, nothing to be afraid of. I remembered doing the same thing not too many years ago, whispering the same words and humming the same lullaby. I looked into Elli's eyes, whispering quietly.

Baby Elli...Elizabeth Rose Hedgehog. Five year ago, I would have never believed I would be where I was, holding this tiny living thing. I would never believe I would be holding a part of me...of her...of _us_... And never in a million year would I have believed I could feel as empty as I did now.

That in a single day, my entire world would fall apart and then rebuild itself in an instant.

And here I am, three months later, holding one of the only things on the entire planet that keeps me sane.

My baby...My little baby girl.

I am Sonic the Hedgehog. The blue-blur himself. Savior of practically the whole planet.

And...a single, broken father...

**End of Chapter**


	2. i

_Yaya! Been awhile, I know, but I had to get built back up!! I don't like this chapter too well. It's just mainly dealing with Sonic and Tails learning how to take care of Elli's needed. It's okay, I guess._

_Sorry for the lateness! I promise it won't be so long next time!!_

**Not Easily Broken**

**Chapter 1**

It's funny how when the things you love most are gone, the gravity holding you to the world seems to leave too. I mean, metaphorically, of course. It's like...the strings tying you down to solid ground were ripped away, cut off, and now you're floating through space. Alone. Cold.

Ah, I was never good with words.

This is how I felt when I lost Amy. Like I'd lost everything that ever meant anything to me. When she died, I lost a part of me, a part that will never come back. It's gone forever. If it wasn't for my purpose on this world, I wouldn't have made it out of that hospital that night.

But I did. Simply because I found something to hold on to. And this something needed me just as much as I did her.

Elli. My daughter.

**xx**

It was the morning light that woke him the next morning.

All was silent. There were no birds calling outside. No movement through the house. He awoken with a start when he realized Elli was still lying on his stomach, breathing softly, still sleeping. He reached up and patted her gently. She was snoring lightly, and Sonic smiled at her, pushing a small strand of hair out of her face. She slept so peacefully. It made him jealous.

Sonic the Hedgehog didn't dare move in fear of waking her. She was too beautiful sleeping to disturb. Instead, he simply stroked her small back, letting her sleep, and closing his eyes to the morning light.

It was times like this he missed Amy the most.

In the mornings, she would wake him up by jumping on him, scaring the life out of him every time. They would rough house for a bit before calming down and fixing breakfast. That was one thing he had loved about Amy; she could make a joke or fun out of anything.

He felt fresh tears well into his eyes, and he steadied his breathing as to not fall apart. He listened to Elli breathing, the sound calming him. He knew, for as long as he lived, he would miss Amy. The future looked bleak. How was he supposed to raise Elli by himself?

A sound at the door made him second guess himself. He wasn't alone. He had Tails. He knew Tails would always help him.

After this thought, Sonic fell into a doze, his hand falling limp on Elli's back.

**xx**

He had been awake for quiet awhile, simply listening to the silence of the morning. His blue eyes stared up at the ceiling, his breath calm and the only sound he could hear.

Tails had heard Elli crying late in the night, and before he could get to her, Sonic had stumbled from his bedroom. Tails, guiltily, had fallen back asleep immediately, not giving it a second thought. He layed in the bed now, thinking of just that. Elli and Sonic. Amy and Sonic.

After a few minutes, Tails finally rose from the bed, stretching and climbing out from the covers. He scratched the back of his neck as he proceeded to the hallway, wondering if Sonic was still sleeping.

He walked toward Elli's room, tiptoeing, and glanced in. The scene made a sad smile creep across his face; Elli was sleeping on Sonic, and the blue hedgehog was sleepily stroking her back. They looked so peaceful. Tails watched them for a moment longer before walking into the living room.

For around an hour, Tails busied himself by cleaning the house. He washed the few dishes in the sink, cleaned off the tables and counters. He made sure everything was cleaned up before plopping down on the sofa with a sigh. For a few minutes, he watched TV, but his mind was not on the program, but on something else entirely.

He thought of Amy. Oh, how he missed her. There seemed to be something missing now, as if a part of him and Sonic had been taken with her. There's was no doubt they missed her, especially Sonic. He wondered if Sonic would ever recover from this huge blow. After all, Amy had been the love of his life.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps from the hallway next to him. He looked up to see a very disheveled Sonic appear from the bedroom. His blue fur was dull, sticking up randomly on his body. His green eyes were squinted, as dull in life as his fur, and he walked to the sofa, plopping down without a sound. Tails looked at him, sitting a bit straighter.

"Elli still sleeping?" he asked, and the hedgehog looked up, blinking slightly as he turned to Tails.

"Yeah, she's still asleep," he said quietly, sitting back against the couch. His eyes closed. "Thank goodness. I didn't think she would ever go to sleep last night." Tails smiled slightly, settling back against the soft sofa. "The storm scared her." Tails suddenly felt very sheepish, remembering how many times he himself had awoken Sonic when he was a child, scared to death of the lightning and thunder. When he looked back up from his hands, Sonic was looking at him and smiling, amused. "She actually reminded me of someone when she did that."

Tails chuckled softly. "Well, at least she gets something from me," he replied, crossing his arms. Sonic simply smiled, turning to look out the window. This ended their conversation, and suddenly, Tails felt detached from Sonic. He felt as if he didn't even know the hedgehog. He watched him for a moment before he turned to watch the TV, trying to stay focused on the show. He failed, of course.

It wasn't too long before Elli began to cry. Sonic sighed loudly, but got up immediately, shuffling into the bedroom to tend to his daughter. Tails stayed behind, listening as he heard the hedgehog whispering softly to the baby, which calmed her. He heard Sonic's soothing voice, talking low to Elli, and her soft sniffles. He emerged from the bedroom, baby in tow, heading straight for the kitchen. He held her delicately, but at the same time, firmly. It was a grip only a father could master. Tails watched as the blue blur walked into the kitchen, patting Elli on the back. He looked around blankly, as if trying to find something but with no idea where to look. For some reason, this amused Tails, and he stood, smiling.

"Need help?" he asked, and faced Sonic. The hedgehog glared at him resentfully, but the kitsune could not erase the grin. Sonic sighed, nodding without a word, and Tails walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and fumbled for a moment, looking for the baby formula he had stuck in the back the day they arrived. He found the last can, making a note to buy more, and opened it. He turned around. "Okay, wheres the bottles?" Sheepishly, Sonic nodded toward the cabinet, and Tails opened it, pulling out a bottle and the lid.

He mixed warm water with the formula and shook it in the bottle, checking the temperature every few seconds. Elli was still crying softly, and Sonic was bouncing her gently, begging her to be quiet. Finally, the bottle was ready, and Elli received her feeding with no hesitation. She guzzled hungrily, and Sonic and Tails watched her. Sonic glanced up nervously.

"Is she drinking it too fast?" he asked casually, taking the bottle from her mouth gently. The baby hedgehog began to sniffle again, before she began to sob loudly. Sonic grimaced, and Tails laughed as he stuck the bottle back into her waiting mouth. She fell silent immediately. Sonic glared over at Tails. "Hey, don't laugh at me! I'm new to this!" But Tails couldn't stop chuckling. Sonic finally huffed and ignored him.

"Okay, _now_ she's drinking it too fast," Tails informed, jerking the bottle from Sonic's hands. Elli smacked her lips, her tiny arms reaching back for it. Tails looked at Sonic. "Now, the nurse said to gently lay her on your shoulder and pat her back. Super gentle, be super gentle." Sonic obeyed, placing Elli on his shoulder, her head facing the wall behind them. Sonic's eyes shone with anxiety. "Okay, now pat." Slowly, too gently, Sonic patted her back. Tails shook his head. "Harder." He obeyed, patting her a bit harder. It was several minutes before they heard a loud burp, and Sonic laughed, his first real life since Elli had come home.

"That's my girl!" he said, removing her from his shoulder and positioning her back into his arms before feeding her again. Tails was grinning beside him. This father stuff was taking some time, but it wouldn't be long before Sonic got the hang of it.

Pretty soon, Elli was stuffed, and Sonic carried her around a little while, talking to her softly. Tails had retreated into the living room, watching the news alone. He listened to Sonic speaking to Elli quietly, and Elli's cooing sounds, as if she were replying. He smiled.

Later that day, a strange smell began to flowing through the air, and Tails looked up in disgust as Sonic passed by with Elli.

"Uh, Sonic?" he said quietly, and Sonic looked back in distress.

"I know, I know!" he cried, walking back to him. "But I don't know how to do it! Show me!" The idea didn't please Tails in the least, but he agreed to help. He didn't know how to do it either, but it was worth a shot.

The took Elli into the bathroom, laying her down near the sink. They stared at her for nearly a minute, both wondering how they would do this. Finally, Sonic stepped up to the plate, ripping the tape from the diaper. With a sigh, he quickly removed it, tying it up as fast as he could, and disposing it in the waste basket.

"Where are the wipes?" he asked loudly, looking frantically around for them. Tails found them high on the bathroom closet self, throwing them to Sonic. Carefully, he wiped Elli, who was cooing and making conversation with herself the entire time. After she was clean, Sonic took a clean diaper from the back, staring at it, turning it over.

"Now..." he started, looking back down at his child. "How does this go on?" He lifted Elli's bottom by grabbing her legs, placing the diaper upside down. With an uneasy chuckle, Tails corrected the mistake. After two destroyed diapers and a disgruntled Sonic, Elli was finally redressed, and ready to lay back down; she fell asleep once more in Sonic's arms, snoring gently.

Sonic sat carefully on the couch, sighing loudly. Tails sat next to him, laughing softly. "There's a milestone," he said, placing his arms behind his head. "Elli's first diaper change. At least you know it now." Sonic grinned, staring down at Elli. He moved a piece of hair from her face.

"Yeah..." he said halfheartedly. "If...if Amy were here...she would have known. She was...reading the books. She was already telling me about how the color of a newborns room affected their learning or something." He chuckled sadly, bouncing Elli gently. Tails said nothing, simply looking down at his hands. Sonic sighed, closing his eyes. "I miss her."

Tails finally looked up, watching his best friend sadly. He wished with everything in him he could somehow take some of the pain Sonic was feeling. But he couldn't.

In Sonic's arms, Elli hiccuped quietly, and Sonic chuckled.

**End of Chapter**


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